I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £10 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1951, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for External Affairs, and of certain Services administered by that Office (No. 16 of 1924), including a Grant-in-Aid.
This Supplementary Estimate is for a token sum of £10. Its object is to secure the approval of the Dáil to the Consulate-General which was created in Western Germany in July, 1950. The total cost of our representation in Western Germany for the financial year 1950-51 is estimated at £4,424 which will be met by savings on other items. The staff of the Consulate-General consists of a Consul-General, a Consul and a typist.
Apart from its general function of maintaining consular relations with Germany, the new office will be particularly concerned with the expansion of Irish exports to Germany.
The conditions which govern international trade in the world to-day make it essential to maintain direct day-to-day contacts with governmental authorities in almost every country where we hope to sell Irish goods.
The work of trade missions is not confined to the solution of problems which arise from the existence of governmental controls. In addition, they have the duties of exploring the possibilities of new markets for their countries' products and of expanding existing ones. They advise on the economic conditions obtaining in the countries to which they are accredited and furnish reports on the market potentialities for specific commodities. They maintain close contact with business circles and trade organisations, and in general are in a position to furnish advice on all problems connected with the business of exporting to the country concerned. This type of work is of particular value in our circumstances since many Irish firms who produce goods for which a foreign market may exist cannot afford the expense of searching for markets abroad themselves.
Before the war Germany was one of our most important export markets and we had a Legation in Berlin which dealt with any trade problems which arose. In the last three years this trade has revived and in 1950 we sold nearly £1,500,000 worth of goods to Western Germany, which is now our fourth most important customer. The resumption of trade with Germany on a large scale was made possible by the conclusion of a trade agreement with Western Germany in July, 1949, and its renewal the following year. Under this agreement we have substantial import quotas for our products, and the efficient working of the agreement, which involves the periodic call-up of the quotas and the allocation of import licences against them, makes it essential to have continuous contact with the German Government Departments concerned. The volume of work involved is very considerable. To handle this work and generally promote the sale of Irish goods in Western Germany a Consulate-General was in the summer of 1950 established in Frankfurt, which was then the seat of most of the German economic ministries. This Consulate-General is now being transferred to Bonn, which has since become the German administrative centre.
A summary of our exports since 1948 shows that in the year 1948 we exported £75,000 worth of goods; in the year 1949, £396,000 worth, and in the year 1950, £1,491,000 worth. I ask the Dáil to grant this token Supplementary Estimate for this Consulate-General.